Juice Cleanse: 9 Reasons Why Juice-Based Diets Don't Work

As soon as any holiday or big dinner ends, many people like the idea of detoxifying everything out of their systems.

Our bodies constantly work in cycles to manage waste (think in through one end and out the other). It's fact that those who eat tons of fat, sugars and consume a lot of alcohol are not only unhealthy, but they require their bodies to do more work in the long run for losing weight. Juice cleanses have become a popular fad and they're not always the healthiest. Depriving your body of whole foods and relying on fruit juice or soups will not get rid of a year's build-up of excessive junk.

Our bodies get at least 50 to 60 per cent of our daily energy intake from carbohydrates like grains, fruits and starches, according to LiveStrong.com. When our bodies lack carbs or our diets are low in carbs, it can automatically start losing water — which is why weight loss on strict diets seem "easier" in the beginning.

And just because you fall into a juice cleanse diet, it doesn't mean it will stick. Significant weight loss in a short period of time is also destabilizing for the body and once the cleanse is over, old habits can easily come back. This is why most severe diets or treatments do not address long-term weight problems and most people regain weight they initially lose. One study even showed that dieting itself caused our bodies to almost always pile up on the pounds again, according to the Daily Mail.

Instead of relying on juice diets once a year to cleanse your system, eating healthy, exercising daily and moderating your alcohol intake are all easier — and healthier — ways to clean your body.

Fibres and some antioxidants found in the skin of whole fruits and vegetables are irreplaceable — these are often eliminated in the juicing process. For example, the pulp of oranges provides flavonoids. In addition to this, the lack of fibre makes our bodies absorb sugars in general faster.

Juice Won't Fill You Up:

Juice doesn't fill you up like whole fruits and vegetables. If you drink your meals rather than chewing them, your stomach doesn't actually get full.

You May Be Missing Key Minerals And Vitamins:

Always be alert of diets that eliminate entire groups of foods. Protein intake for example, is important for the construction of new cells and muscle tissue.

It's Not A Smart Way To Lose Weight:

Want to lose weight? Cut the fat and sugar and you will see your waist get thinner. Don't rely on drinking juices in order to shed those pounds.

The detox juice business is actually a real business. The industry is booming and made more than $60 billion in 2011, according Marketdata Enterprises. A juice diet can cost $65 to 70 per day. And making your own juice at home can cost up to $300 if you buy your own juicer.

You will probably hear this all the time. Many people have said juice cleanses or detoxing worked for them but according to the Mayo Clinic, these claims have not been scientifically proven and people wanting to lose weight should stick to exercising and eating well.